As many as 10 turncoats, including two former Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents and an ex-BJP chief whip, bit the dust in the Jharkhand Assembly elections.
All the candidates had switched sides after being denied tickets to the elections.
‘Dented in Haryana, denied in Maharashtra, defeated in Jharkhand’
Former BJP spokesperson Praveen Prabhakar, who joined the National People’s Party (NPP) days before the commencement of the five-phase Assembly elections in the State, secured the least votes in the Nala seat at 987.
Ex-BJP chief whip Radhakrishna Kishore, who joined the All Jharkhand Students Union Party (AJSU Party) after being denied a ticket, lost to BJP candidate Puspa Devi in Chattarpur constituency.
Mr. Kishore had quit the Congress to join the Janata Dal (United), before embracing the BJP.
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Former Jharkhand PCC chief Pradeep Kumar Balmachu lost from Ghatsila after contesting the seat on an AJSU Party ticket.
Another ex-PCC president Sukhdeo Bhagat, who contested from Lohardaga on a BJP ticket, was defeated by incumbent PCC president Rameshwar Oraon.
Former Jharkhand BJP president and sitting MLA Tala Marandi lost from Borio after he contested the seat on an AJSU Party ticket.
Phoolchand Mandal, who switched sides to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) from the BJP, lost in Sindri while former BSP MLA Kushwaha Shivpujan Mehta was defeated in Hussainabad, where he had fought on an AJSU Party ticket.
Former MLAs Kunal Sarangi of the JMM and Manoj Yadav of the Congress lost in Baharagora and Barhi constituencies respectively after contesting the seats on BJP tickets.
Akeel Ansari, who was close to JMM president Shibu Soren but had joined the AJSU Party after being denied a ticket, lost to Congress candidate Alamgir Alam in Pakur.
Only a few turncoats emerged victorious in the elections.
Ex-PCC president Sarfaraz Ahmad won from Gandey constituency on a JMM ticket.
Former Minister Bhanu Pratap Sahi and ex-JMM MLA Jai Prakash Bhai Patel retained Bhawanathpur and Mandu constituencies respectively after contesting the seats on BJP tickets.
Baidyanath Ram, another ex-Minister, won from Latehar on a JMM ticket after quitting the BJP.
The JMM-Congress-RJD alliance has won 47 of the State’s 81 seats. The JMM won 30 seats, Congress 16 and RJD one.
The BJP clinched 25 seats, the AJSU Party two, the JVM (P) three and others four.
